The next morning felt unusually still.
No early alarm. No rushing to class. No Chloe scrambling around the room at the last minute.
Just quiet.
For the first time in a while, I actually had a free day.
I lay in bed longer than usual, staring at the ceiling and letting my thoughts drift without trying to control them.
Ryan wasn't part of them anymore.
That realization still felt new, like something I had to keep checking was real.
Eventually, I got up, changed into a hoodie and jeans, and left the dorm.
The campus looked different during free hours.
Slower.
Less crowded.
More open.
I walked without a destination at first, just following paths I didn't usually take during class days. The air felt warm against my skin, and for a moment, I almost felt normal.
Almost.
Students passed me in small groups, laughing or talking about plans I wasn't part of.
I kept walking anyway.
After a while, I ended up near one of the outdoor seating areas close to the science buildings.
That's when I saw Daniel.
He was standing with someone I didn't recognize, talking casually and smiling like always.
For a second, my steps slowed.
My chest tightened slightly on instinct.
I almost called his name.
Almost.
But then I stopped myself.
He didn't see me.
And he looked… busy.
Comfortable in the conversation.
So I stayed back for a moment, watching.
Then I quietly turned away.
It wasn't worth interrupting.
Or maybe I just didn't feel like inserting myself where I might not belong again.
I kept walking.
A few minutes later, I passed a quieter path lined with trees near the edge of campus.
That's when I saw Ethan.
My steps slowed instantly without permission.
He was standing near a bench talking to a girl I didn't recognize.
And his hand—
His hand was resting lightly on her waist.
Like it was normal.
Like it meant nothing.
My chest tightened sharply before I could stop it.
I didn't even realize I had stopped walking until I forced myself to move again.
Look away.
Don't stare.
I immediately turned my head slightly and pretended I hadn't seen anything at all.
Just keep walking.
Normal.
That was what I told myself.
Normal people didn't react like this to things that didn't concern them.
Ethan wasn't mine.
He never was.
He was just someone I happened to share a room with once.
That was it.
Still, my steps felt heavier as I walked past them.
I could hear faint laughter behind me.
I didn't look back.
Not even once.
I kept my face forward, my hands tucked into my hoodie pocket, forcing my breathing to stay steady.
It didn't matter.
It shouldn't matter.
But somehow, my chest still felt tight in a way I didn't want to name.
By the time I reached a quieter part of campus again, I slowed down.
My thoughts were messy again, but not in the same way as before.
This time, it wasn't confusion about Ryan.
It wasn't jealousy about Chloe.
It was something else.
Something more uncomfortable.
Because I couldn't explain why seeing Ethan like that bothered me at all.
And that scared me more than anything else.